Mark 4:12

Mark 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
• New International Version (NIV)so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'"
• New Living Translation (NLT)so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’ ”

Context of Mark 4:12

10But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ” 13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word.

Mark 4:12 word by word

ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσιν καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες ἀκούωσιν καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖςRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• seeingβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• perceiveὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• hearingἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• understandσυνίημιsuniēmi · to understandG4920
• lest at any timeμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
• they should be convertedἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• sinsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• sinsἁμάρτημαhamartēma · sinG265
• should be forgivenἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: forgiveG863
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Mark 4:12

• Deuteronomy 29:4Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.
• Isaiah 6:9And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
• Isaiah 44:18They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
• Jeremiah 5:21‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:
• Matthew 13:14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
• Luke 8:10And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.’
• John 12:37But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,
• Acts 28:25So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,
• Romans 11:8Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.”
• Jeremiah 31:18“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the Lord my God.
• Ezekiel 18:27Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.
• Acts 3:19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
• 2 Timothy 2:25in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
• Hebrews 6:6if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Commentaries on Mark 4:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-13Verses 10-13 See the notes at Matthew 13:10-17. On Mark 4:12, see the notes at John 12:39-40. When he was alone - That is, separate from the multitude. When he withdrew from the multitude a few followed him for the purpose of more instruction. Mark 4:13 Know ye not this parable? - This which is so plain and obvious. How then will ye know all parables? - Those which are more difficult and obscure. As they were themselves to be “teachers,” it was important…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-12The true followers of Jesus could understand the secret of the kingdom of God. They knew the kingdom had arrived (1:14–15). They knew that the Christ, the Son of God, was among them (1:1). To those on the outside, it seemed like riddles. When Jesus answered the disciples’ question, he showed that he used parables to keep outsiders from understanding. This was so that they would be unable to repent and be forgiven. The quotation from Isaiah 6:9–10 in the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1211-12. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them, &c.--See on Mt 13:10-17.Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 4:12

• Apostasy
• Blindness
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Quotations and Allusions
• Sermon
• Sower
• Wicked (People)
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Alone
• Care
• Cast
• Comparison
• Doctrine
• Parable
• Conversion
• Hap; Haply
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, the Gospel According to

Commentaries on Mark 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings